2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Fusarium blight of corn seedlings can be found literally everywhere where corn grows. The harm from it directly depends on the degree of infection of corn seeds - the higher their percentage, the more infected plants will be found at the stage of their germination. If the degree of infestation is low enough, yield losses can reach 15%, and with severe infestation, this figure often reaches 40%. Under especially unfavorable conditions, in some years it is possible to lose up to 60 - 70% of the crop. This ailment is especially harmful in areas with damp weather and a protracted spring - in this case, seedlings can begin to appear only twenty to thirty days after sowing the seeds
A few words about the disease
On the surfaces of seedlings of germinating caryopses attacked by Fusarium, a weakly expressed fungal bloom, painted in white or pink, can be observed. Gradually, the sprouts begin to turn brown and die off. And sometimes they die without reaching the soil surface. If the sprouts survive, then they will have a poorly developed root system. The leaves will begin to dry out, the infected plants will become stunted, and some specimens will even lie down.
As a rule, the manifestation of fusarium on corn seedlings begins at the stage of germination and before the formation of two or three leaves. Sometimes Fusarium seedlings can also infect adult plants, and kernels with cobs can be affected not only in the fields during the growing season, but also in case of non-compliance with the storage regime. By the way, at the storage stage, the ill-fated attack can cover absolutely any part of the ears. And if they are stored in poorly ventilated or damp rooms, characterized by high humidity, the causative agent of the infection will easily move to unaffected ears and infect them.
There is also a latent form of fusarium in corn seedlings. It is considered especially dangerous, since at first the infected embryos are quite viable, and after they are in the soil, the development of mycelium begins, spreading at lightning speed to sprouts with roots, which in turn leads to rapid decay of seedlings and their death.
The causative agent of fusarium in corn seedlings is harmful fungi from the genus Fusarium, which remain on plant debris, in the soil and in seeds. The unicellular microconidia they form are usually colorless. Curved or sickle-shaped macroconidia are also colorless and equipped with several septa. Conidial sporulation of pathogenic fungi often provokes repeated infections of corn.
The development of the disease is noticeably enhanced by the increased acidity and moisture of the soil, as well as the low temperature at the time of seed germination. The depth of seeding also plays an important role in the development of a harmful disease. If they are embedded too deep, the aeration conditions will be greatly impaired. If they are too shallow, the top soil layer dries up, contributing to the deterioration of seed germination. And if the corn crops are overly thickened, then the seedlings will begin to be quite strongly affected by root rot.
How to fight
It is necessary to sow corn at the optimum time and only in well-heated and thoroughly fertilized areas. Also, when growing it, it is necessary to carry out a whole range of important agrotechnical measures that contribute to the early germination of corn seeds, as well as the better development of plants.
A good effect is obtained by pre-sowing treatment of corn seeds with the preparation "Maxim XL". This fungicidal dressing will help tiny seedlings germinate better.
And before being sent for storage, corn cobs must be thoroughly dried so that their moisture content does not exceed 16%.
Also, at present, a lot of attention is paid to the breeding of Fusarium-resistant seedlings of corn hybrids and their subsequent use.
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Red Rot Of Corn Cobs
Red rot of corn cobs most often develops if the air temperature drops noticeably closer to the stage of full ripeness of the kernels or it often rains. And the fungus-causative agent of this disease is dangerous not only because it significantly reduces the yield of corn crops, but also because the toxins released by it can infect animals and people, provoking them to develop the effect of neurotoxin (one of the types of damage to nerve cells)
Moldy Corn Seeds
Moldy corn seeds is not so much a disease as a kind of reaction of caryopses to unfavorable conditions. This attack can significantly worsen the condition of the plants. The germination capacity and germination energy of seeds are sharply reduced, as a result of which the seeds become unsuitable for their subsequent sowing. Mold growth is especially active in case of waterlogging of the soil, excess rainfall and prolonged spring. And also its active development is facilitated by insufficient aeration of the soil, its poor quality
Fusarium Blight Of Corn Cobs
Fusarium blight of corn cobs is most often found in regions with high humidity, where up to 50-60% of growing corn is often affected. This ill-fated disease almost always leads to a noticeable decrease in the volume of the crop, as well as to a significant deterioration in its quality, since the development of destructive fusarium does not stop even during the storage of the harvested ears, especially if the storage conditions are accompanied by insufficient aeration and very high humidity
